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Jon Keller is WBZ-TV News' Political Analyst, and his "Keller At Large" reports on a wide range of topics are regularly featured during WBZ-TV News at 6PM and 11PM. Keller also broadcasts morning dri...

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I would think that the purpose of Marriage has been pretty much destroyed.Morality is dismissed as a far right Republican pipe dream.
Reality says that Marriage can’t survive infidelity but that has become the Norm. In Massachusetts in particular Marriage has been further cheapened by we all know what.
In the past Marriage was the basis of Family and Society.Now it’s not.Now it is a political issue used by certain factions to force the rest to join them in denial of who and what they are.
Why would anyone want to get involved in the Dead End that it has become?

As writer on marriage equality and feminism in weddings, I find Professor Hesse-Biber’s comment that today’s women do not have the choice to be stay at home moms or wives to be totally false. Nowadays, women make up more than have the college grads and working professionals, young women finally have the autonomy and choices to chose a life for themselves – be it a stay at home mom or professional. Naturally, there will always be households in need of two incomes, but we should celebrate that women are becoming an equal contributor in the workforce (we didn’t always have that liberty). Saying that women in the workforce is “taking its toll out on marriage” is a misleading comment. The 2010 Pew Research Study revealed that education and a change in the social necessity of marriage has created older mothers, more single (and to note, financially stable) mothers and older couples getting married. The notion that romance goes away with a career is also totally false. Women should be applauded for the advancements in their professional and personal careers, just because marriage or babies come later in their life doesn’t mean that their life lacks substance or meaning. http://www.TheFeministBride.com

@cynic- I like to blame many of the world’s ills on Republicans, but I can’t in good conscience say that the decay of marriage is their fault. The sanctity of marriage today has deteriorated because of those that can’t manage their lives well enough to stay committed to one person. It also has nothing to do with gender or sexual preference as you imply.
My wife and I have brought our children up to be independent thinkers, educated and financially stable. They don’t do everything we say and do, but it appears they are working towards that, before considering marriage and children. I think that is how many young women think today.

Marriage started off as a business deal, a way for fathers to not be financially responsible for their daughters their entire lives. There were dowries involved and today for the most part in the western world that no longer happens. And women are far more independent today and have much better opportunities for careers and to be financially independent. Also, humans are not hard wired to be monogamous like other species, it is a choice.

Many women enjoy freedom to do as they wish. They see a divorce rate of 50% and don’t want to risk the gamble. Far too many women (and men) quickly realize that marriage isn’t a word but rather a sentence. The first part of my marriage was very happy. But then, on the way back from the ceremony………

I think a couple of main problems today has to do with increased mobility and more time spent at work for less money. Also women and men have far more opportunities and choices than in the past. You can envision and make a life for yourself of your choosing for the most part. However, increased mobility and career demands can impede getting married and having a family. Why would someone cheat? We cannot blame everything on individuals. Outside factors do play a role. I think more people are struggling again. It has to do with increased inequality that is not at all justified in any way. Religion can breed dysfunction or entice dysfunctional individuals to participate. I was raised to think for myself and it’s also a bit of a necessity as a dyslexic. I kind of have to teach myself to a degree.

Much is being said about Freedom,choices,and options. The only words I see missing are responsibility and obligation.
Does anyone feel any responsibility to future generations?
How long can we continue to churn out thousands of aimless disfunctional children everyday.
like it or not thier lives are affected by your behavior.
Should we just stop having Children and keep the Party going for as long as it lasts?

Cynic, good comment. The traditional family structure of dad working and mom at home is quickly disappearing. We now have a few generations of “latchkey kids” that are adults and are living the 2 income or single parent lifestyle. The divorce rate is too high and the message that sends to the kids in the broken marriages is that if mom and dad can do it, so can I. When I was younger I had several friends whose parents I knew were not “in love” and yet it was obvious to me they were together to show their kids that commitment means just that. The message now is don’t stay together just because of the kids.

I don’t disagree with this, but excuse me: “he’ll marry me and then I’ll lose all this weight!” …What?! Either this is terrible editing or a poorly-thought-out and random statement from the professor. I really don’t see how throwing body-image issues into the mix is at all helpful.

i am a straight man that was married twice, and i was a very caring and loving husband at the time. they both did cheat on me, and i did not do anything wrong on my part. i never cheated on them, and i would have thought that my first marriage would have lasted. i was just too good for them, and they just wanted more out of life the way i see it. plus my second wife was bipolar, and as you can see i have bad luck with women. certainly no fault on my part because, i was very committed to them as well. knowing what i had at the time, i was very happy and i did not have to go out looking for it anymore. that is the problem today, women and men cannot stay together anymore like they once use to. times have certainly have changed, compare to years ago. this is why our parents and grandparents were lucky enough to have met and stayed married for such a long time. now that i am alone and single again, i hate it because most of the men my age are married and have their own life now. i will now go out every single night, not to be home by myself. and since i have no one to stay home too, i will go out and hope that i will be at the right place at the right time to meet a good woman for me this time around. i will be very cautious now, especially what just happened to me.